Over a hundred witches attend second Witches Coven in York

Hosted by Hocus Pocus Tiny Hotel, just off Shambles, The Witches Coven returned on June 14 for its second iteration, which saw over a hundred people take to the streets for magic and mystery galore.

The event kicked off with a performance from Tatwood Puppets’ Count Ocular, who was performing tricks, whilst a Russian folk legend, Baba Yaga's Bird House: Home of the Queen of Magpies (made by Judith Hope), roamed up and down the street to the sound of violins.

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Guests were blessed with sage and made a wish with wishing water from Mother Shipton's Cave before they were permitted to enter the Hocus Pocus Tiny Hotel where a tour guide, namely Mad Alice from The Bloody Tour of York, gave the guests a tour of the specially decorated rooms.

Guests were also able to enjoy a potion, formulated by The Potions Cauldron, as prizes of Hocus Pocus Spell boxes were given out as prizes for the best dressed.

Witches explore the city at the annual Witches Coven (Image: Provided)

Once the onsite festivities were complete, witches, wizards, and ‘mythical creatures’ were led on a tour of the city’s most haunted locations by Mad Alice.

Co-owner of Hocus Pocus Tiny Hotel and event organiser Camelia Andrei expressed her appreciation for those who attended the event: “Coffee, tarot and fire readers, energy healers, spiritualists, hypnotists, reiki and yoga teachers, human design experts, witchy fashion lovers, but also gardeners, people drawn to nature and mindfulness, to positive thinking and meditation - all united by the same passion- the modern witchcraft, all together with one goal- to bring good vibes and positive energies in our city centre, for the benefit of our community and not only.

A show by Tatwood Puppets at the Witches Coven (Image: Provided)

“Our lives have been in flux over the past few years. The challenges of things such as climate change, political upheaval and the pandemic have led many to reflect on their priorities.

"Our priority for example, it was to bring some magic in our lives by building the Hocus Pocus tiny hotel! We opened it on the 14th of June 2022 under the Supermoon and we decided to celebrate our yearly anniversaries with a Witches Coven event.”

Mad Alice leads a tour from the Witches Coven (Image: Provided)

Her co-owner Vincent echoed the sentiments, saying: “We would like to offer our heartfelt appreciation to all the people that made such an effort & attended the celebration of Hocus Pocus 2nd year anniversary and Witches Coven event.

“Although this is a free event, we still managed to raise a few hundred pounds from generous gifts and purchase of our merchandise by the public which will massively help make the Christmas Hampers for the Homeless in York.

One of the attendees at the Witches Coven, York (Image: Provided)

“We thank everyone for their support in making a less fortunate person’s Christmas that little bit more special.”

The event also offered revellers discounts at some of the city and region’s shops and attractions – this included Viking pub Valhalla, Mother Shipton’s Cave in Knaresborough, and The Potions Cauldron.